PETERSBURG, Va. (WRIC) — Coats of different colors and styles were donated and distributed to elementary students in need as part of a push to keep children warm in the winter months.
The donation event was held at Cool Spring Elementary in Petersburg at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 13. Elected leaders, school officials and good samaritans all took part in the event.
“I was born and raised in Petersburg. I grew up in this area where, you know, it was less fortunate sometimes,” said Lahoma Bland-Owens, Co-Founder of Keep Petersburg Warm. “I wanted to give back to those who I knew would need.”
According to Bland-Owens, the group has been doing the coat delivery event since 2017.
“I had one little guy yesterday, he said he was a team leader when he got the coat. He wanted to help and he wanted to give kids coats and be a big boy to help out,” Bland-Owens said. “The kids thanked me yesterday for giving them coats, they asked me if I was a part of Santa Clause’s crew. That’s the first I’d heard of that! But I said, ‘yeah,’ I was.”
